And Tme Marches On. . .

One of the most fascinating things any human has to deal with is the grace at which we age. As children we look forward to birthdays with all the presents and cake and as we reach our teens we enjoy the added independence that each new year brings, at 16 we can drive, at 18 and can vote and then 21 we can do everything that everyone older than us can do, drink, drive, buy liquor we are legally allowed to do it all. Then comes the not so fun numbers like 25 and 30 and then 40 until the day we are senior citizens all the while we accept that getting older is better than the alternative.

Age brings wisdom and at 25 looking at someone who is 50 we realize that we are closer in age than we would care to be. We learn to enjoy the now and the responsibilities that now brings. We enjoy hanging out with our friends in our 20s and then we trade crazy club nights for quite dinner parties at 30 and so on and so forth and then family becomes more important and reminiscing with our peers. We humans may gripe about getting older but for the most part just stop and take a look. People in general deal with getting older rather well. On our birthday the shallowest of us will cry and pretend to be a different number than we really are but our friends are the same age and we do the things that say a 30 year old are supposed to be doing.

Sure getting older means closer to death in theory but because we know not the time that life timer will stop we learn to enjoy every moment. So how do we do it? How do we stop pretending that we have all the time in the world, how do we force ourselves to make great lasting memories, get off the couch, stop wasting time with TV program after TV program, video game after video game?

No one truly knows the answer to that, but I have found that a good indication to if you’re wasting your life is if you feel like you’re wasting your life. If you spend a whole day watching TV and you feel depressed, spend the next day, if you’re lucky, doing something different, like reading a book, spending time with friends and family, our simply building something that will last well after you are gone.

There are some days that I feel I am just wasting away waiting for the day when I am no more and it sometimes scares me then I remember I am not old and that I know not my expiration date. All I can do is make the most of each day. There are some days when I need to just sit still and watch TV to recharge my batteries, which simply means tomorrow I will go back to spending time writing, baking, cooking, reading, sewing, and learning all I can learn.

I am 25 going on 26 and while these numbers are not quite badges or honor what I have learned are and will make getting older more fun. I have lots to sit and reminisce about, the blanket I crocheted, those times I spent developing new recipes and all the stuff I learned from grandma and “dem.”